I was lamenting the fact that I left my smoker in Washington and missing out on all the good smoked bluefish I could have made this summer. Then .... while channel surfing I came across the food network and learned an easy way to make a smoker.

A smoker is essentially a heating element in a box. Sooo ... what you need to do is 1. take a large cardboard box, 2. cut an access flap at the bottom, 3. make rack supports by putting dowels through the sides of the box, 4. get a hot plate and put it in the bottom, 5. fill up a small frying pan (cast iron is best) with wood chips and put it on the hot plate, 6. set your rack of brined fish on the dowels, 7. seal the top of the box, 8. turn on the hot plate, 9. monitor temperature (keep around 150) and wood chip level.

This smoker takes up very little garage space as it can be folded up - heck it's even disposable.

Nah, the price has to be something. You can put it towards next year's operating costs. As for the Brewster shoal trip - any time! And while I'm at it I think I recall reading somewhere that you love fresh cod. Well, if you can tolerate handling non FF gear Mike and I can put you on some good fish. Last weekend we fished for about 4 hours and landed about 18 keepers up to 36". Just 1 - 3 miles off shore.

We were getting them in 50 to 90 feet of water. I'd be willing to give it a shot with the fly rod as well. I've been toying with that idea ever since Mike and I got 'em from our float tubes in early spring in about 20 feet of water just off the beach. It'd be fun to add another species to the fly caught list.

There are a lot of macks around as well. If you have a sinking line to go with a 4wt or lower they could be fun. I think I've heard they are quite good smoked.

Macs are awesome smoked. Hickory is fine for them, I think they use oak up north. Delicious.

I think I would rig a density compensated sinking line one weight over for cod. I tried some deep (very deep) retrieves out in the Straits for coho salmon and have caught deep running salmon. The only thing different was the time you need to wait for the line to sink. You need to play with the current direction too so you keep a slight tension on the line as it sinks.

Some areas bring the fish higher in the column due to the presence of bait and/or upwelling currents. Targeting these areas would also help increase fly catches I assume.